Is Jessica Biel an Anti-Vaxxer?
Jessica Biel has set the record straight about her stance on vaccinations after sparking controversy by posing for a photo with a well-known anti-vaxxer.
On Tuesday (June 11), images of the 37-year-old actress seemingly lobbying with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in California began to circulate the web. The two came together to lobby against SB 276, a state bill that "would limit medical exemptions from vaccinations without approval," according to The Daily Beast.
"Please say thank you to the courageous @jessicabiel for a busy and productive day at the California State House," Kennedy wrote alongside a series of photos from their meeting.
Though there was no confirmation as to why she met with him, many media outlets, like The Daily Beast, jumped to the conclusion that she, too, was an anti-vaxxer—especially after it was reported in 2015 that she had declined to vaccinate her son, Silas, with husband Justin Timberlake.
A lot of people quickly took to Twitter to voice their concerns over her stance:
But now, following all the criticism, Biel shared a lengthy Instagram post, clarifying her views and explaining that she's "not against vaccinations" but that she supports "families having the right to make educated medical decisions for their children alongside their physicians."
"My dearest friends have a child with a medical condition that warrants an exemption from vaccinations, and should this bill pass, it would greatly affect their family’s ability to care for their child in this state," she added.
Read her full statement, below: